


Unser Kind

by cataclysmicconniption



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: Family Fluff, M/M, Post Mpreg, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-28
Updated: 2014-01-28
Packaged: 2018-01-10 09:59:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1158274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cataclysmicconniption/pseuds/cataclysmicconniption
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The beginning of parenthood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unser Kind

When the baby is born, he's small -- smaller than the average newborn.

-

"... He's tiny."

"Well yeah... but the doctor says he'll grow up just fine."

"..."

"What should we name him? Akira? Hiroki maybe? Takeshi?"

"All those names suck, old man."

"Well I don't see you coming up with anything, brat!"

"... Small Fry."

"Gah, Noiz, be serious about this!"

"... I am."

-

Small Fry has ten fingers and ten toes -- Noiz counts everyday to be sure. He has chubby cheeks, a small button nose, and pouty lips when he naps. His eyebrows are thin in contrast to his head full of thick, soft hair. His hands are just as small, but their grip is phenomenal whenever they grab onto anything. Noiz marvels at how their son looks exactly like Koujaku from head to toe except in the eyes. He has Noiz's eyes, piercing and bright through smile and tears.

He's perfect.

-

"Okay, we really need a name for him," Koujaku says one evening after snapping the tenth baby name book shut.

Small Fry is sleeping in his arms, swaddled in his light green blanket. Noiz looks up from his screens, a blank look on his face. It's been five months since they brought their son home, and neither of them have had luck in naming him. The baby name books do them no good, and they even ask for their Allmates to assist.

"As long as it isn't something weak," Beni huffs.

"Calculating... calculating... No name to be found," Usagimodoki says.

"Well thanks anyway," Koujaku replies as he stares down at their child. He smiles at the way the baby breathes softly, his little chest rising up and down slowly. "Come on, Noiz, let's think. It doesn't necessarily have to be Japanese! I just want... I want our names a part of it too."

"... Kuoni."

"Eh?"

"Kuoni," Noiz repeats the name slowly, breaking it down.

"Kuoni..."

"It's German... for brave."

"Kuoni," Koujaku says firmly as if tasting the name. He runs a finger gently down the baby's cheek, saying the name over and over again. The more the name rolls off his tongue, the more Koujaku falls in love with it; it's so fitting for their child -- for the family. "Kuoni... Kuoni... Kuoni... It's perfect, Noiz."

Noiz doesn't say anything but the tiny smile on his face says it all.

-

Time passes and before Koujaku and Noiz realize it, Kuoni is five.

"Are you excited about your first day of school?"

Kuoni doesn't answer as Koujaku helps him with his coat, looking anything but excited. Koujaku gives a sympathetic smile, zipping Kuoni up. All the preparations and precautions of preparing Kuoni for kindergarten don't raise his spirits either, but Koujaku understands; he wasn't very excited about school when he was a child either.

"Can't I stay home, Papa?" Kuoni asks, gripping his backpack straps so tight that his knuckles are white. "I don't want to go. What if no one likes me?"

"Now why wouldn't they like you?"

"I don't know..."

"You'll make a lot of friends," Noiz says from the doorway. His face is blank, but Koujaku knows that he's just as anxious about letting Kuoni go to school, or grow up really. "You'll make more friends than your Papa and I together."

"Eh? Papa and Daddy didn't have tons of friends? But... you're so cool!"

Koujaku chuckles at the shocked look on their son's face as he puts his favorite bunny hat on.

"Well... we're cool now. Cooler than we were kids," Koujaku explains with an understanding look to Noiz. "We didn't have love like this when we were children. We were lonely, but now we aren't lonely anymore."

"Because you and Daddy have each other."

"And you."

With those words, Noiz takes Kuoni to school and as they walk down the stairs they wave good-bye to Koujaku. The older man watches until they turn the corner before wiping the tears in his eyes. He wonders if Kuoni will have a good day and if he packed everything he needed as he prepares to go to the salon. He continues to think and worry while cutting and trimming hair all day -- sometimes figuring if he should go and get his son early.

But when the sun finally sets and he steps into the house, all of Koujaku's worries disappear when he feels a pair of small arms wrap around his legs tightly and hears Kuoni's excited chatter about what a wonderful first day he had. Noiz sits at the dinner table, looking just as relieved as Koujaku feels.

-

Nothing really changes after that.

Noiz continues to walk Kuoni to and from school everyday. Sometimes Koujaku walks with them if he opens the salon later or closes early. Kuoni is happy either way, always chatting about what he learned or what he's going to learn. Eventually Kuoni gets brave enough around first and second grade to walk to and from school on his own, though Noiz or Koujaku still wait for him down the block.

Koujaku strictly works at his salon now, but every once in awhile he'll make his rounds with Benishigure if he's not too swamped. Noiz continues working with Rhyme for extra money, but he doesn't participate in the battles anymore; he just pinpoints where the next ones will take place and moves on. They continue living their own lives without many, if any, issues.

They still argue and bicker -- that's something that'll never change -- but Kuoni's all right with it; he just chuckles at his parents when they cover his ears, which really doesn't block out the sound but still. It's their fire that holds them together anyway, and when they stand side-by-side watching their son sleep, Koujaku and Noiz realize they wouldn't want it any other way.

They enjoy marriage and parenthood for what it's worth.

**Author's Note:**

> I guess it doesn't really matter, but I spent forever trying to figure out a name for their kid. Kounoi really was something I was just going to go along with because hey why not right? But then I realized I wanted something real -- for the kid to be just as real as his parents (also originally they were going to have twins but naaaah, haha). So eventually I stumbled across Kuoni after minutes of typing in other names. And it is German and it does mean 'brave'. Okay, babbling over now;


End file.
